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Wachovia sues Panther over credit card bill

By Steve Lyttle

McClatchy Tribune Wire Service

Published: February 6, 2009

Wachovia Bank has sued Carolina Panthers' wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad and the entertainment company he founded, according to court papers.

Wachovia is accusing Muhammad, along with Baylo Entertainment and Abdullah Muhammad, of failing to pay back $24,603.24 on a Visa Business Rewards credit card.

Abdullah Muhammad is Muhsin's brother.

Baylo Entertainment was founded in 2002 by Muhsin Muhammad and was based for several years in the Atlanta area. According to published articles, the company's goal was to support rising young entertainers. Baylo Entertainment was credited with discovering several rap and urban contemporary acts in the Atlanta area.

According to paperwork filed Tuesday in Mecklenburg County Superior Court, Baylo Entertainment is now based in the Cleveland area.

In the suit, Wachovia alleges that Muhsin Muhammad opened a business checking account for Baylo Entertainment in March 2002, then added the credit card account five years later.

According to Wachovia, a cash advance of $12,500 was transferred from the credit card account to the business checking account on May 21, 2007, and Abdullah Muhammad was added as an authorized user of the checking account on the next day.

Wachovia alleged in the suit that another $11,948 was transferred from the credit card to the business account on June 15, 2007.

The bank says the defendants - Muhsin Muhammad, Abdullah Muhammad and Baylo - have failed to make payments that were due.

Wachovia is suing for the principal due, plus interest and legal fees.

Muhsin Muhammad could not be reached. There is no telephone listing in the Atlanta or Cleveland areas for Baylo Entertainment.

Muhsin Muhammad, 35, is a Michigan native who played at Michigan State University before being drafted in 1996 by the Carolina Panthers. He played with the Panthers through the 2004 season, then left as a free agent for the Chicago Bears.

After playing with the Bears from 2005 to 2007, he returned to the Panthers for the 2008 campaign. He was the team's second-leading receiver, behind Steve Smith.